Category Archives: Comics

Upcoming comic book solicitations and reviews of key titles along with comic book publishing industry news.

Comics, Pop Culture

Out Now: DC Comics’ “Flashpoint” Begins (5/2011)

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It’s time for The Flash to take center stage as the new mini-series and multiple title crossover “Flashpoint” begins.

Comic - Flashpoint 1 - 2011
“Flashpoint” Begins

According to its description “The series details an altered DC Universe in which only Barry Allen, Kid Flash and Booster Gold seem to be aware of significant differences between the regular timeline and the altered one, including Cyborg’s place as the world’s quintessential hero, Superman’s detention by the government and a Thomas Wayne version of Batman who spends “his days running Wayne Casinos.”

Not only will we find the aforementioned “Flashpoint” mini-series being published, but there will also be a new grouping of tie-in titles that have been written solely based on the events in this new bizarre DC Universe. The core miniseries is written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Andy Kubert. It will all lead us to the relaunch of the DC Universe in a few months entitled “The New 52”. Will you be checking out this sure to be fast paced run of a story? Sorry I had to be corny for a second. Your thoughts on it are welcome in the comments.

Official Wiki Entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashpoint_%28comics%29

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I’ve decided to toss in some Amazon.com code that focus on The Flash for your indulgence, here are links to a number of “The Flash Chronicles” that capture some of his earliest adventures and present them in chronological order.

Comics, Pop Culture

Reading Rob Dukes’ “I Am Become God” by Terminal Press

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Most of the Metal Community  knows that singer Rob Duke’s is the deadly vocal force behind the band Exodus, but did you also know that he is a writer and has his own comic book? Yep, he is the main creative force behind the Horror themed comic called “I Am Become God” which is available from the folks at Terminal Press.  You might remember the company as the one who did a Dimmu Borgir comic about a year or so ago but that never was released beyond previews based on all of the band member changes shortly before it went to press.  Talk about a bummer.  Anyways, where was I?  Oh yes, my overview of “I Am Become God”. It’s based on a story by Rob Dukes script and letters by Keith McCleary art by Garrett Adderley colors by Adam Street.

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The book focuses on the daily activities of an unnamed serial killer who we meet on the first page where he defines himself as being a truly crazy and disturbed individual.  I was convinced by the artwork on the cover which shows the protagonist pouring blood into a puddle on the ground out of a disembodied skull.  If the reader is not believing this, the killer proudly shows off the skeleton of a kitten that he had killed as a small boy as he introduces himself to us.  The rest is horrific history for lack of a better term as the killer gives us his “origin story”.   The killer is not really breaking the “fourth wall” of comics and talking to the reader in as much as he seems to be talking to the next victim on his list, but one does not realize this until the final pages of the story. My guess is that he plans on returning to this scenario with other tales of his bloodstained 9 to 5.
Continue reading Reading Rob Dukes’ “I Am Become God” by Terminal Press →

Comics, Pop Culture

An Overview Of IDW Publishing’s “Eternal Descent” Issue #3

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Welcome back, I am continuing and actually finishing up with the discussions about the first few issues of the IDW Published title “Eternal Descent” and since I had been out of the regular collecting mode for a few years l was not as up on this as I would have liked to be. The premise of the comic is that of an “Urban Gothic Fantasy” and it’s the brainchild of musician/writer Llexi Leon. Leon is the founder of a label called Incendiary Records and he has created the virtual band Eternal Descent to tell his stories. Over time he realized that music would not be able to deliver the stories in the same fashion as the comics and here we are. It’s an epic fantasy and mystery that pits good against evil and does so with some of the Metal world’s biggest stars as guest characters along the way. I got my hands on the first three issues of the title and offer up some overview on each of them along with some cover art. This is the summary of the third issue. Enjoy.

Issue #3: Loki starts off the action by taking over the mind of an as yet unnamed Rocker but it’s obvious he is a member of the Power Metal band Firewind. More clues unravel about the mysteries of Lyra Constance who now seems to be travelling with Sirian in order to make more sense about her past and present. The two meet up with guitarist Gus G. in order to help out their singer Apollo (who was the victim at the stories opener). Some magic guitar from our Metallic Angel helps the band to get back onstage and smite the demons with fire, lightning and other powerful energy bolts. The crowd merely thinks they got one hell of a light show during the Firewind gig. The adventure continues.
Continue reading An Overview Of IDW Publishing’s “Eternal Descent” Issue #3 →

Comics, Pop Culture

An Overview Of IDW Publishing’s “Eternal Descent” Issue #2

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Welcome back, I am continuing on with the discussions about the first few issues of the IDW Published title “Eternal Descent” and since I had been out of the regular collecting mode for a few years l was not as up on this as I would have liked to be. The premise of the comic is that of an “Urban Gothic Fantasy” and it’s the brainchild of musician/writer Llexi Leon. Leon is the founder of a label called Incendiary Records and he has created the virtual band Eternal Descent to tell his stories. Over time he realized that music would not be able to deliver the stories in the same fashion as the comics and here we are. It’s an epic fantasy and mystery that pits good against evil and does so with some of the Metal world’s biggest stars as guest characters along the way. I got my hands on the first three issues of the title and offer up some overview on each of them along with some cover art. This is the summary of the second issue. Enjoy.

Issue #2: Picking up immediately where we left off in issue #1, we find out that Lyra is also something special and appears to be “demon-like” but scared and confused about this being the case. She escapes and now Sirian must track her down and get her the help she requires. We also learn that she is the missing singer of a very popular Metal band and that she was supposed to be headlining over a God Forbid show. Their cancellation makes the GF guys headline and soon the demons take over and start up their usual monkey business by turning the audience members into zombies or monsters or whatever they were supposed to be. Guitarist Doc Coyle gets possessed until he is rescued by Sirian and then together the pair dispatches the demons with a vengeance. Through it all Sirian tells Doc that he is dreaming. The concert portion of the story also makes use of the God Forbid lyrics from the tune “Into The Wasteland”.
Continue reading An Overview Of IDW Publishing’s “Eternal Descent” Issue #2 →

Comics, Pop Culture

An Overview Of IDW Publishing’s “Eternal Descent” Issue #1

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Comic books and music seem to go hand in hand and this has been the case for many more years than I can remember. Back in the Golden Age of the medium we often found artists like The Beatles being referenced and sometimes even getting their own books like The Monkees did in 1968. For me the magic of these two passions of my youth coming together was when KISS got their own adventure story published in the very first issue of “Marvel Comics Super Special”. This issue came out in 1977 and featured the face-painted New Yorkers in epic battle against Doctor Doom and Mephisto – Killer stuff for sure. Needless to say it only increased my youthful belief in the magic of KISS as something bigger than mortal men and most likely helped contribute to the collecting passion that I got involved in for years in terms of comic books. In today’s Metal music scene we find a lot more bands taking part in comic book writing, publishing or guest appearances. It’s really a great time to be a Metal head and someone that loves comics since both things are viewed as really cool as opposed to be the stuff of utter nerd dom. Let’s face it, do you think anyone is going to give crap to Glen Danzig for his comic book line, or Rob Dukes (from Exodus)? I hardly think so.

With that being said, I had the opportunity to get my hands on the first three issues of a series entitled “Eternal Descent” and since I had been out of the regular collecting mode for a few years l was not as up on this as I would have liked to be. Until now that is. The premise of the comic is that of an “Urban Gothic Fantasy” and it’s the brainchild of musician/writer Llexi Leon. Leon is the founder of a label called Incendiary Records and he has created the virtual band Eternal Descent to tell his stories. Over time he realized that music would not be able to deliver the stories in the same fashion as the comics and here we are. It’s an epic fantasy and mystery that pits good against evil and does so with some of the Metal world’s biggest stars as guest characters along the way. I got my hands on the first three issues of the title and offer up some overviews on each of them along with some cover art. I’ll begin with issue #1, Enjoy. Continue reading An Overview Of IDW Publishing’s “Eternal Descent” Issue #1 →